So, You Want to Get a Male Brazilian

If you've landed on this article, you're at least curious about what happens when a man gets a Brazilian wax. Good for you. Healthy curiosity is a safe place to start when the idea of a bald scrotum is on the table. But let's be clear: Even though the male Brazilian sounds...intimidating, it's also no different than the procedure the brave women who descend on waxing studios undergo when they have the hair removed from their nether regions.

And now that body hair grooming is a pretty standard part of the proverbial men's grooming tool kit, you have the ability (and the prerogative) to take off as much as your heart desires. But you don't just waltz into a waxing studio and say, "Make me look as naked as the day I was born" without knowing your plan of action. There is a process, some options for your style, and ultimately a way to take care of your hairless down-under without hating yourself for three days.

What It (Un)covers

This is fully up to you. While protocol is to leave a bit of a landing strip above the shaft area—Why? Who knows. Do you.—you can go for full strippage if you so desire. A fully executed male Brazilian also includes removing all hair from the scrotum, perineum, and anal region. The results typically last for about four to six weeks, so that gives you an idea of what your return on investment is.

Waxing removes hair at the room, so prepare for a little redness afterwards.

Don't Be a Hero

This is not something that you do on your own. The range for a male bikini wax in New York is about 70 to 85 bucks, which ain't nothing. But if waxing is the route you want to take, you don't want to take that risk into your own hands. This is a sensitive area, and a procedure that's best left to the experts—so don't go into it believing that it's something you can just learn overnight and do yourself. (Ditto that for sugaring, which is a similar technique using sugar paste.)

Additionally, you don't want to go overboard if you trim for presentation down there. About a quarter-inch of hair growth is necessary so that the wax will take. If you cut it too short, you're getting in your own way.

There Will Be Touching

Yes, someone is going to be touching your penis and your testicles, so know going in that there's going to be someone down there navigating around your private areas. The first, maybe too obvious, step is to make sure that you're both freshly clean and dried down there.

Your esthetician will likely use one of two waxes: soft or hard. Callie Spears, who has practiced in New York for six years, notes, "Soft wax is stickier and you have to put a muslin strip on top to pull it off—also known as strip wax and honey wax." She also adds, "In the case of hard wax, you apply it and let it harden before pulling it off. I apply more to the hair than the skin." In her opinion? The move here is hard wax. "Hard wax is better in areas that are more sensitive," Spears says. "And soft wax is better in areas with finer hair or larger surface areas."

Yes, it hurts. But it’s not as bad as you might think.

Universal Pictures

Don't Leave the Aftermath to Chance

Remember that when you get follicles pulled out from your body, it's not like your skin is just casually going to adjust to that. You're getting hairs ripped from your body. In their place, pores will be opened, meaning that keeping that area clean and fresh is more important than ever. Abstain from activities that might induce sweat or friction because an ingrown hair or clogged pore isn't what you want to deal with after removing body hair from that area.

Most of all, lean into it. You (hypothetically) are taking the step to remove all the pubic hair from your crotch. Celebrate your decision and make sure that you're taking care of what needs to be taken care of. After all, it requires a certain level of dedication to say, Today, I'm going bald in the most sensitive and personal area on my body. And I'm doing it by applying wax to my junk. You are, in your own way, a personal hygiene hero. Treat yourself as such.

Justin Kirkland Justin Kirkland is a writer for Esquire, where he focuses on entertainment, television, and pop culture.

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